Container-loading crane arrangement

ABSTRACT

A crane for loading and unloading a containership and for transferring the containers between the ship and land vehicles is equipped with normally stationary hoists on the portions of its beam which are above water and above land respectively. The containers lifted by one hoist and lowered by the other are transferred between the hoists on the platform of a carriage traveling horizontally on the crane beam and automatically controlled by limit switches. Two carriages and two hoists on the land side of the crane can normally be served adequately by one hoist on the sea side of the crane without interference if the two carriages travel on different levels, and the hoist on the land side cooperating with the higher carriage is farther removed from the hoist on the sea side than the other hoist on the land side.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Hans Tax Potsdamer Strasse 3;Rudiger Franke, 8 Munich 23, both of Germany [21] Appl. No. 7,446 [22]Filed Feb. 2, 1970 [45] Patented Dec. 28, 1971 [73] Assignee said Tax,by said Franke [32] Priority Feb. 16, 1970 [33] Germany [31] P19062125[54] CONTAINER-LOADING CRANE ARRANGEMENT 12 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 214/14, 212/ 1 5 [51] 1nt.Cl B63b 27/12 [50] Field oiSearch214/14,15; 212/15, 22, ll

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 982,883 1/1911 Schnabel212/11 Primary ExaminerGerald M. Forlenza Assistant ExaminerFrank E.Werner Attorney-Kelman and Berman ABSTRACT: A crane for loading andunloading a containership and for transferring the containers betweenthe ship and land vehicles is equipped with normally stationary hoistson the portions ofits beam which are above water and above landrespectively. The containers lifted by one hoist and lowered by theother are transferred between the hoists on the platform of a carriagetraveling horizontally on the crane beam and automatically controlled bylimit switches. Two carriages and two hoists on the land side of thecrane can normally be served adequately by one hoist on the sea side ofthe crane without interference if the two carriages travel on differentlevels, and the hoist on the land side cooperating with the highercarriage is farther removed from the hoist on the sea side than theother hoist on the land side.

PATENTEUBECZSBYI 3.630390 SHEET 3 OF 5 Fig. '3

saw u or 5 PATENTED [1328 ml PATENHBEEEEBWI EJ630690.

SHEET 5 BF 5 CONTAINER-LOADING CRANE ARRANGEMENT This invention relatesto equipment for loading and unloading container ships, and particularlyto a crane arrangement for transferring containers between waterbornevehicles and land vehicles.

Known cranes are equipped with a frame adapted to stand at the edge of awaterway and carrying a beam which extends substantially horizontallywhen in its operating condition in which a portion of the beam is abovethe waterway and another portion above land adjacent the waterway.Load-conveying apparatus on the beam lifts a container from a vehicle onthe waterway, moves the container along the beam to the other portion ofthe beam, and thereafter lowers the container to a land vehicle. Thisinvention is more particularly concemed with improvements of theload-conveying apparatus.

The capacity of known crane arrangements of the aforedescribed type isnormally limited by the forces required for accelerating anddecelerating the load and the associated, moving portions of theload-conveying apparatus. The known cranes can handle only one load at atime, and the number of containers combined in a single load is limitedby the ability of the stationary crane structure to absorb the reactionof the load as its speed or direction of movement is changed.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a cranearrangement of greatly increased operating capacity as compared to knowncranes of comparable weight, size and cost.

A more specific object is the provision of a crane arrangement in whichthe heavy hoists do not move along the crane beam during most of theoperating time of the apparatus.

With these objects and others in view, as will hereinafter becomeapparent, the invention provides a crane of the aforedescribed type withat least one normally stationary hoist and with a carriage which movesalong the beam of the crane toward and away from the hoist. A containeris transferred between the hoist and the carriage during its loading orunloading.

If only one such hoist is provided, it is mounted over the waterway, buttwo or more hoists are preferred, at least one, but preferably two beingarranged on the portion of the beam which extends above land.

Other features, additional objects and many of the attendant advantagesof this invention will become apparent from the following detaileddescription of preferred embodiments when considered in connection withthe appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 shows a container-loading crane arrangement of the invention inside elevation and partly in section;

FIG. 2 shows the arrangement in FIG. 1 in fragmentary front elevation;

FIG. 3 diagrammatically illustrates the operation of the arrangement ofFIG. 1 in side elevation;

FIG. 4 is a perspective, partly diagrammatic view of a portion of theapparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 shows a modified element for the apparatus of FIG. 1 in aperspective top view;

FIG. 6 illustrates the operation of a modified crane arrangement in themanner of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 7 shows another crane arrangement of the invention in sideelevation and partly in section.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2,there is seen a pier 10 on which widely spaced rails 12 parallel to theedge of the pier support two cranes 14,156. The two cranes areidentical, and the following description will be generally limited tothe crane 14.

A traffic surface 16 between the rails 12 is equipped for supportingland vehicles 18 which may be trucks or railroad cars on severaljuxtaposed lanes of roadway and/or railroad tracks. A containership 20is moored to the pier 10 and loaded with stacks 22 of rectangularcontainers 24. The illustrated containers are of quadratic cross sectionand elongated at right angles to the plane of FIG. 1 and have dimensionsof several yards in all directions.

The crane 14 had two identical side frames 26 including an upright rearcolumn 28 and a much higher front column 30. The columns are connectednear their bottom ends by a horizontal, longitudinal frame member 32,and further by two diagonal struts 34. The two side frames 26 areconnected by lower transverse members 36,38 on the level of the framemembers 32. The tops of the rear columns 28 are transversely connectedby a box section girder 40, and the front columns 30 by a transversemember 42 between the ends of the higher and lower struts 34.

The crane beam 44 has a fixed section 44 which is entirely located aboveland, and a movable section 44 most of which extends over water in theoperative position of the beam 44 shown in fully drawn lines. The beam44 mainly consists of two spacedly juxtaposed, longitudinal girders 46,each girder having a longitudinal portion 46L in the beam section 44which is a box section, and a portion 46 in the beam section 44 which isa lattice girder. The girders 46 are fastened to the transverse girder40 to form a hollow-shaped structure therewith, but are not otherwisetransversely connected except at their free ends so as to define anunobstructed air space therebetween. The fixed girder portions 46,, eachconsist of three longitudinal parts connected by joints 186,188 tofacilitate assembly.

The ends of two cables 50 are attached to the movable girder portions 46respectively and to a winch 52 mounted in the hollow interior of thetransverse girder 40, and are trained over guide pulleys 54 at the topof the front columns 30. A cable 56 attached between each girder portion46 and the top of the corresponding front column 30 limits the downwardmovement of the beam section 44 to a position in which both beamsections are horizontal and aligned. The winch 52 may raise the beamsection 44 to the position shown in chaindotted lines.

Four pairs of load-bearing guide rails 58, 98, 124, 142 run along thebeam 44, the members of each pair being secured to the two girders 46respectively. The rails 58 mounted on the outer edges of the uppergirder chords support a first traveling hoist 60 for movement betweenthe free end of the movable beam section 44 and buffers 62 which projectupwardly from the upper beam chords of the beam section 44,, between thecolumns 28,30. A depending bracket 64 on the traveling hoist 60 carriesan operator's cab 66 below the crane beam 44.

As is better seen in FIG. 4, the frame 68 of the hoist 60 is connectedon each side by a pulley system 70 and a lifting cable 74 with acontainer lifting frame or spreader 72. Automatic coupling mechanisms atthe four comers of the spreader, conventional in themselves and notshown, can attach the spreader to a container to be transported, thecontainer being shown in phantom view in FIG. 4. The lifting cable 74 istrained in the pulley system 70 sequentially over a pulley 76 on thehoist frame 68, a pulley 78 on the spreader, two pulleys 80,82 on theframe, a pulley 84 on the spreader, and pulleys 86,88,90,92,94 on theframe which ultimately lead the cable into a trough 96 which extendsfrom the front end of the beam 44 to the bumper 62 and prevents the endof the cable which is attached to the bumper, from sagging. The otherend of the cable 74 is trained over a guide pulley at the front end ofthe beam 44 and one of the guide pulleys 54 to a motor-driven winch inthe box girder 40 in a manner not illustrated in order not to crowd thedrawing and analogous to the showing of the cable 50 and winch 52.

The control circuits of the crane are connected with the operator's cab66 by a festooned cable 97 whose loops are suspended from one of therails 58. The cable also provides power for the nonillustrated motorwhich permits the hoist 60 to be shifted on the rails 58.

The rails 98 at the inner edges of the upper girder chords support aself-propelled carriage 100 having a suspended platform 102 low enoughto clear a container 24 raised to its highest position by the hoist 60when the cable 74 is pulled in by the nonillustrated winch in the girder40. Electric current for the nonillustrated drive motor of the carriage100 is provided by a third rail we on the beam M and a contact shoe 106on the carriage. The carriage may travel on the beam as from the firsthoist lit) to a second traveling hoist M8 at the rear end of the fixedbeam section M its movements are controlled partly by a set of limitswitches Hllh arranged for sequential engagement with cams 132 on abracket lid of the first hoist 60, partly by a nonillustrated set ofcooperating limit switches on the carriage Hi) and the hoist 108identical with the switches 11% and the cams B12, and partly be remoteonoff control through a rail M6 insulatedon the girder 416 and anothercontact shoe 1 18 on the carriage ldh.

Another self-propelled carriage 120 travels on the rails 124 which arefastened to the lower chords of the girders 46, and has a platform 122downwardly oflset from the carriage Hill sufficiently to provide spacefor a container 24% on the platform 122 in all portions of thecarriages. it is powered by electric current supplied in the same manneras to the carriage 100, but not shown in the drawing, and mainlycontrolled by limit switches as described above.

The rails 58 also support the traveling frame 126 of the secondtraveling hoist llllh. The hoist is equipped with a motor-driven winch130 from which a spreader 132 is suspended. when fully raised, thespreader H32 clears a container supported on the platform 102 of thecarriage too. The hoist 108 may be shifted on the beam section M betweenthe bumpers 62 and the transverse girder 40 by means of two horizontalspindles 134 threadedly engagng the frame 126, joumaled in the bumpersand in bearings blocks 13d, and driven by an electric motor 138 in thehollow girder so.

A third traveling hoist 140 may move horizontally on the fourth set ofshort rails 142 attached to the upper chords of the girder portions 46,,by depending brackets. The hoist 1 8i is equipped with a motor-drivenwinch 144 for raising and lowering a spreader 1%. The third hoist 11%may be shifted on the crane beam 44 between positions respectivelyadjacent the front columns 30 and the bumpers 62 by means of threadedspindles 148 journalcd in bearing blocks 150,352 and operated by drivemotors 154.

The winch motors of the hoists res and Mt) are supplied with operatingsignals through nonillustrated festooned cables as shown for the drivemotor of the hoist 6i and with power through third rails, not shown, asin the carriages lliilhlZli. The motors which drive the undercarriagesl62,i6d of the two cranes 14,156 have not been shown, since they areconventional. The undercarriages of each crane are offset from the sideframes 26 toward each other in such a manner that the cranes may bemoved into abutting engagement of the opposite vertical faces 158,160 ofrespective side frames. The side frames are supported on theundercarriages 162,164 by means of edge bearings 166,163 as is known initself.

The operation of the aforedescribed apparatus, as far as not obviousfrom the description of the structure, is diagrammatically indicated inFIG. 3 with reference to the unloading of the ship 20.

The first hoist 6% is positioned above a stack 22 of containers 24 whichit is desired to land. During the short horizontal movement of the hoistinto a position aligned with the intended vertical upward path V of thecontainer, the vertical position of the spreader 72 remains unchanged,as is inherent in the reeving of the cable 743 seen in FIG. 4. The cable74 then is alternatingly played out and retracted by the nonillustratedwinch in the transverse 'rder so to lift the containers of the selectedstack to a height sufficient to permit them to be transferred at one ofthe two transfer points H to the carriages 160 or 120 which enter thepath V after a container has reached its topmost position.

The carriages transfer the containers in respective horizontal paths H Hto the hoists li ,120 respectively whose positions are set in alignmentalong the downward paths V V with a string of land vehicles ready toreceive the containers, the paths V V intersecting the paths H i-i As isevident from FIGS. 1 and 3, the path V is much shorter than the pathsl-l li V,,,,V during most of the unloading of the ship so that thecapacity of the illustrated crane 14 is practically six times that of anotherwise comparable crane on which a single hoist lifts containers fromthe ship, travels the length of the crane beam, and lowers the containerto a land vehicle, thereafter to return to its starting position.

if for any reason, the time required for lifting containers out of theship should be substantially more than half the travel time of thecontainer in a horizontal path along the crane beam and thencedownwardly to a land vehicle, a fourth hoist we may be associated withthe first hoist 60 on the beam section 44 as the two hoists 108,140 arearranged on the section .M so that two containers may be liftedindependently from each other in the two vertical paths V ,,V travelalong the beam in horizontal paths H i-l, and downward in paths V V Asmany as six containers may be handled simultaneously by the modifiedcrane shown in FIG. 6 without interfering with each other.

The operator in the cab 66 may start and stop the operation of the craneand shift the several hoists into desired vertical paths, but the cranemay normally be operated automatically by means of limit switches suchas the switches 110 and cooperating cams to admit the carriages 100,120into the vertical paths under the several hoists only until theassociated spreaders have rwched an adequate height, thereafter toposition the carriages in alignment with the spreaders and to start acycle of hoist operations while the carriages again move away.

Without intervention of the operator, a container 24 may thus be liftedby the hoist 60 from the ship 20 to a height sufficient to permit thecarriage to move under the container, whereupon the container is lowereduntil it rests on the platform Hi2 and the coupling mechanisms on thespreader 72 release the container. While the spreader 72 is brieflylifted, the carriage 100 moves inland, and the spreader 72 is thereafterlowered to the ship 20 for engagement with the next container 24 in thesame stack 22'.

When the spreader 132 is above the path of the carriage filth, thecarriage moves below the hoist 108, the spreader 132 is lowered forcoupling to the container 24 on the platfonn M2. The container isbriefly lifted to permit the carriage 100 to move back toward the hoist60 which in the meantime has transferred another container to thecarriage 120. When the carriage Mi) is out of the way, the spreader 132with the container suspended therefrom is lowered to deposit thecontainer on a land vehicle.

Containers taken from the ship 20 are thus conveyed alternatingly to twostrings of vehicles aligned with the hoists M8340 respectively. Theoperation of the crane shown in H6. 6 will be obvious without detaileddescription, and the reversal of the sequence of operations during theloading of a containership is equally evident.

in the event of partial equipment failure, or for transferring only asingle container from the ship 20 to a land vehicle, the hoist 649 maytravel on the rails 58 from the position shown in FIG. l to the buffer62 while carrying a lifted container or other load, and may then lowerthe load to a land-based vehicle.

The modified carriage illustrated in FIG. 5 may be positioned under ahoist even before the container intended to be transferred to thecarriage has reached a position above the carriage level.

The modified carriage 172 travels on rails a,l70b of the beam which maybe identical with the aforementioned rails 24,142. It has a horizontalframe 174 about a rectangular opening 176 of a size sufficient to passthe container 24 which is shown in FIG. 5 in phantom view together withthe associated spreader 178. The frame 174 has the approximate C- shapeof a rectangle in which one of the long sides has a wide gap 1.

The ends of locking bars 182 are received in horizontal slots of theframe R74 and are guided by pins in vertical slots 184 in such a mannerthat the bars B82 may be moved by motordriven rack-and-pinionarrangements concealed in the frame 174 between the illustrated positionand an inactive position in which the bars 182 are completely withdrawninto the frame 174 to permit passage of the container while supportingthe four comers of the container when a container is lowered toward theframe 174 while the bars 182 are in the illustrated operating positions.

With the bars 182 retracted, the carriage 172 may thus be moved into theupward path of a container while the lifting cables on the spreader 178enter the opening 176 through the gap 180. After the container haspassed the opening, the locking bars 182 retain it when it is loweredthereafter to the supporting plane defined by the bars 182.

FIG. 7 shows a bridge crane 192 of the invention extending between thetwo banks 194,196 of a canal 198 for unloading or loading a containership floating in the canal. The crane carries four hoists 200, 204, 206,210 whose position along the bridge of the crane may be adjusted, butwhich normally stand still during operation of the crane, and twocarriages 202,208 having respective platforms for transferringcontainers between the hoists 204,200 and 206,210 respectively, theseveral hoists and carriages being substantially identical withcorresponding devices shown in FIG. 1.

During unloading of the ship, containers may be moved by the illustratedhoists and carriages in each of two vertical upward paths V V twohorizontal paths I-I l-I, along the crane bridge, and two downwardvertical paths V, ,,V,,,. to vehicles on the left and right banks194,196 respectively, the crane may operate as automatically as thatdescribed above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 by means of limitswitches and cooperating cams.

We claim:

1. In a container-loading crane arrangement having a verticallyextending frame adapted to stand at the edge of a waterway, a beammounted on said frame and extending substantially horizontally when inan operating condition thereof, a portion of said beam in said conditionextending above said waterway and another portion of the beam extendingabove land adjacent said waterway, and load-conveying means on said beamfor lifting a container from a waterborne vehicle on said waterway,moving said container along said beam to said other portion of the same,and thereafter lowering said container to a land vehicle, theimprovement in the load-conveying means which comprises:

a. a first hoist and a second hoist on said portions of the beamrespectively;

b. a first carriage movable along said beam between said hoists; and

c. transferring means for transferring a container between each of saidhoists and said carriage.

2. In an arrangement as set forth in claim 1, guide means for guidingsaid first carriage in a horizontally extending path on said beam, saidhoists including means for moving said container in respective verticalpaths intersecting said horizontally extending path.

3. In an arrangement as set forth in claim 1, a third hoist on saidother portion of said beam, a second carriage movable on said beambetween said first hoist and said third hoist, and transferring meansfor transferring a container between said second carriage and said firstand third hoists respectively.

4. In an arrangement as set forth in claim 3, guide means on said beamfor guiding said carriages in respective, vertically offset paths duringmovement thereof on said beam, said second carriage moving in a pathlower than the path of said first carriage, and said second hoist beingfarther from said first hoist than said third hoist, said carriages eachdef'ming a plane of support and being adapted to receive said containeron said plane.

5. In an arrangement as set forth in claim 4, each of said hoistsincluding a winch, a cable member secured to said winch for being paidout and retracted when said winch operates, and coupling means forcoupling said cable member to a container, said winch, cable member andcoupling means jointly constituting one of said transferring means.

6. In an arrangement as set forth in claim 1, said carriage including ahorizontally extending platform adapted to support said containerthereon.

7. In an arrangement as set forth in claim 1, electrically operatedcontrol means for controlling movement of said carriage along said beam,said control means including a limit switch member and a limit switchoperating member, one of the members of said control means being mountedon said carriage and the other member on said hoist for engagement withsaid one member.

8. In a container-loading crane arrangement having a verticallyextending frame adapted to stand at the edge of a waterway, a beammounted on said frame and extending substantially horizontally when inan operating condition thereof, a portion of said beam in said conditionextending above said waterway and another portion of the beam extendingabove land adjacent said waterway, and load-conveying means on said beamfor lifting a container from a waterborne vehicle on said waterway,moving said container along said beam to said other portion of the same,and thereafter lowering said container to a land vehicle, theimprovement in the load-conveying means which comprises:

a. a first hoist on one of said portions of the beam;

b. a first carriage movable along said beam toward and away from saidhoist, said carriage including l. a frame formed with an openingdimensioned for vertical passage of a container through said frame, and

2. a plurality of blocking members mounted on said frame for movementinto and out of said opening, said blocking members when in said openingpreventing passage of said container and defining a supporting plane forthe same; and

c. transferring means for transferring said container between said hoistand said carriage.

9. In an arrangement as set forth in claim 8, said hoist including avertically extending lifting cable, and said frame being formed with agap communicating with said opening for movement of said cable into andout of said opening during said movement of said carriage.

10. In a container-loading crane arrangement having a verticallyextending frame adapted to stand at the edge of a waterway, a beammounted on said frame and extending substantially horizontally when inan operating condition thereof, a portion of said beam in said conditionextending above said waterway and another portion of the beam extendingabove land adjacent said waterway, and load-conveying means on said beamfor lifting a container from a waterborne vehicle on said waterway,moving said container along said beam to said other portion of the same,and thereafter lowering said container to a land vehicle, theimprovement in the load-conveying means which comprises:

a. a first hoist on one of said portions of the beam;

b. a first carriage movable along said beam toward and away from saidhoist;

c. transferring means for transferring a container between said hoistand said carriage; and

d. adjusting means for adjusting the position of said hoist along saidbeam, said adjusting means including 1. a threaded spindle having anaxis and threadedly engaging said hoist, and

2. drive means for rotating said spindle about said axis thereof.

11. In a container-loading crane arrangement having a verticallyextending frame adapted to stand at the edge of a waterway, a beammounted on said frame and extending substantially horizontally when inan operating condition thereof, a portion of said beam in said conditionextending above said waterway and another portion of the beam extendingabove land adjacent said waterway, and load-conveying means on said beamfor lifting a container from a waterborne vehicle on said waterway,moving said container along said beam to said other portion of the same,and thereafter lowering said container to a land vehicle, theimprovement in the load-conveying means which comprises:

a. a first hoist on one of said portione of the beam, said hoistincluding 1 a hoisting cable member, and 2. coupling means secured tosaid cable member for engagement with a container; b. a first carriagemovable along said beam in a horizontally extending path, l. a portionof said cable member being elongated in the direction of said path andlongitudinally coextensive i k i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATEOF CORRECTIGN Patent No. 3,630,390 Dated December 18, 1971 Inv n Hans13a): and Rfidiger Franke It is certified that error appears in theabove-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrected as shown below:

In the title page, correct line 32 to read:

[52? Priority (SEAL) Attest:

ROBERT GOTISCHALK EDWARD M.FLETCHJ'3R,JR.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer ORM PO-1050 (10-69)

1. In a container-loading crane arrangement having a verticallyextending frame adapted to stand at the edge of a waterway, a beammounted on said frame and extending substantially horizontally when inan operating condition thereof, a portion of said beam in said conditionextending above said waterway and another portion of the beam extendingabove land adjacent said waterway, and load-conveying means on said beamfor lifting a container from a waterborne vehicle on said waterway,moving said container along said beam to said other portion of the same,and thereafter lowering said container to a land vehicle, theimprovement in the load-conveying means which comprises: a. a firsthoist and a second hoist on said portions of the beam respectively; b. afirst carriage movable along said beam between said hoists; and c.transferring means for transferring a container between each of saidhoists and said carriage.
 2. a plurality of blocking members mounted onsaid frame for movement into and out of said opening, said blockingmembers when in said opening preventing passage of said container anddefining a suPporting plane for the same; and c. transferring means fortransferring said container between said hoist and said carriage.
 2. Inan arrangement as set forth in claim 1, guide means for guiding saidfirst carriage in a horizontally extending path on said beam, saidhoists including means for moving said container in respective verticalpaths intersecting said horizontally extending path.
 2. drive means forrotating said spindle about said axis thereof.
 2. coupling means securedto said cable member for engagement with a container; b. a firstcarriage movable along said beam in a horizontally extending path,
 3. Inan arrangement as set forth in claim 1, a third hoist on said otherportion of said beam, a second carriage movable on said beam betweensaid first hoist and said third hoist, and transferring means fortransferring a container between said second carriage and said first andthird hoists respectively.
 4. In an arrangement as set forth in claim 3,guide means on said beam for guiding said carriages in respective,vertically offset paths during movement thereof on said beam, saidsecond carriage moving in a path lower than the path of said firstcarriage, and said second hoist being farther from said first hoist thansaid third hoist, said carriages each defining a plane of support andbeing adapted to receive said container on said plane.
 5. In anarrangement as set forth in claim 4, each of said hoists including awinch, a cable member secured to said winch for being paid out andretracted when said winch operates, and coupling means for coupling saidcable member to a container, said winch, cable member and coupling meansjointly constituting one of said transferring means.
 6. In anarrangement as set forth in claim 1, said carriage including ahorizontally extending platform adapted to support said containerthereon.
 7. In an arrangement as set forth in claim 1, electricallyoperated control means for controlling movement of said carriage alongsaid beam, said control means including a limit switch member and alimit switch operating member, one of the members of said control meansbeing mounted on said carriage and the other member on said hoist forengagement with said one member.
 8. In a container-loading cranearrangement having a vertically extending frame adapted to stand at theedge of a waterway, a beam mounted on said frame and extendingsubstantially horizontally when in an operating condition thereof, aportion of said beam in said condition extending above said waterway andanother portion of the beam extending above land adjacent said waterway,and load-conveying means on said beam for lifting a container from awaterborne vehicle on said waterway, moving said container along saidbeam to said other portion of the same, and thereafter lowering saidcontainer to a land vehicle, the improvement in the load-conveying meanswhich comprises: a. a first hoist on one of said portions of the beam;b. a first carriage movable along said beam toward and away from saidhoist, said carriage including
 9. In an arrangement as set forth inclaim 8, said hoist including a vertically extending lifting cable, andsaid frame being formed with a gap communicating with said opening formovement of said cable into and out of said opening during said movementof said carriage.
 10. In a container-loading crane arrangement having avertically extending frame adapted to stand at the edge of a waterway, abeam mounted on said frame and extending substantially horizontally whenin an operating condition thereof, a portion of said beam in saidcondition extending above said waterway and another portion of the beamextending above land adjacent said waterway, and load-conveying means onsaid beam for lifting a container from a waterborne vehicle on saidwaterway, moving said container along said beam to said other portion ofthe same, and thereafter lowering said container to a land vehicle, theimprovement in the load-conveying means which comprises: a. a firsthoist on one of said portions of the beam; b. a first carriage movablealong said beam toward and away from said hoist; c. transferring meansfor transferring a container between said hoist and said carriage; andd. adjusting means for adjusting the position of said hoist along saidbeam, said adjusting means including
 11. In a container-loading cranearrangement having a vertically extending frame adapted to stand at theedge of a waterway, a beam mounted on said frame and extendingsubstantially horizontally when in an operating condition thereof, aportion of said beam in said condition extending above said waterway andanother portion of the beam extending above land adjacent said waterway,and load-conveying means on said beam for lifting a container from awaterborne vehicle on said waterway, moving said container along saidbeam to said other portion of the same, and thereafter lowering saidcontainer to a land vehicle, the improvement in the load-conveying meanswhich comprises: a. a first hoist on one of said portions of the beam,said hoist including
 12. In an arrangement as set forth in claim 11,said supporting means including an elongated, upwardly open troughmember.